Troubled Water is a 2008 Norwegian film directed by Erik Poppe

Erik Poppe

Erik Poppe is a Norwegian film director, screenwriter and former cinematographer and press photographer. Poppe started his career as a photographer for the newspaper Verdens Gang. He graduated as a cinematographer at the Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden in 1989, and had great success as...

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The film depicts a large part of the story twice, from the perspectives of two people.

Plot

As a teenager Jan Thomas (Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen) and a friend run off with young boy Isak in a stroller left outside a cafe by the mother. The boy runs away, slips, and falls on a rock, suffering an apparently fatal head injury. Pressured by his friend, Jan Thomas, afraid of the consequences, carries the boy into a nearby river with a strong current, where he sets him adrift. Jan Thomas testifies that the boy was killed by the fall, but he is convicted of murder.

As a young adult he is released from prison and befriends single mother Anna (Ellen Dorrit Petersen) (the pastor of the church where he plays the organ) and her young son Jens. Agnes (Trine Dyrholm

Trine Dyrholm

Trine Dyrholm is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm received national attention when she placed third in the Danish, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a 14-year-old singer. Four years later, she again achieved national recognition when she won the Bodil Award for Best Actress in her debut...

), Isak's mother, sees that Jan Thomas has been released and is concerned for the safety or her two adopted daughters. Her panicking reaction causes strain in her relationship with the two girls.

Agnes sees Jan Thomas together with Jens, and is also concerned that Jens may not be safe. When Jan Thomas lets Jens wait a few minutes outside Jens' school while Jan Thomas picks something up in the school, he returns to find Jens missing. Jan Thomas is very concerned when Jens is missing. Scared by ensuing events, Jens flees into the river and almost drowns. With great danger for himself Jan Thomas catches him, and holds on to a branch, after which Agnes, in a surprise twist of plot, helps them reach the shore. Jan Thomas confesses to Agnes what really happened earlier to her son Isak.

The movie was released in the USA by filmmovement.com

Filmmovement.com

filmmovement.com is an American film and DVD distribution company. It is located in New York City and was founded in 2003. The company specializes in foreign films and award-winning films, such as Munyurangabo, The Drummer and Somers Town....

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Reception

Troubled Water won the audience prize for best narrative feature film at the Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...

in October 2008.